


Safe & Sound

by orphan_account



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Sexual Abuse, Thorki - Freeform, Torture, dub con, greengiant
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-29
Updated: 2012-06-29
Packaged: 2017-11-08 19:42:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/446806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For five years, Loki underwent extreme torture. Bruce just wants him to get better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Safe & Sound

The door is hard to open, as blood coats the hinges. Five years have passed. Five years and Thor hasn’t even been able to see his brother or know what happened to him. When the door comes open, he finds an emaciated and mutilated body lying under torn rags. The skin is scarred and marred with fresh wounds. Thor barely recognizes his brother anymore, and the look in those green eyes, once so lively, is now hollow and cold. 

  
“Loki?” Thor manages to whisper. He reaches out to brush the hair from Loki’s face, but his brother whimpers and turns away, shielding his eyes. Thor draws back; he has never seen his brother so…broken.

  
The god of thunder stoops and runs a hand through the trickster’s hair, calming him until he allows Thor to scoop him up into his large arms. Loki turns his head into Thor’s chest and nuzzles against his armor, body trembling.

  
“Do not worry, brother. Your time has been served. You are free to go now. You are safe,” Thor murmurs in his ear before placing a soft kiss on Loki’s forehead.

 

♦

  
Loki doesn’t speak. As Thor carries him from the torture chamber, he tries desperately to make his brother communicate or at least open his eyes. The members of the royal court look away as Thor passes, the young god growing gradually angrier. He knew not of what Loki’s punishment was supposed to be, and he had been forbidden from visiting.

  
Thor rests Loki on his own bed, slightly dusty from the lack of use. Thor begins to sit as well, but even though Loki has warmed to his presence, he still flinches at touch. Resigned, Thor says, “I am going to speak with the All Father. I will return with food for you.” He waits for some acknowledgement by Loki, but the battered man continues to tremble, eyes clenched shut.

  
By the time Thor reaches Odin’s private chambers, he can barely contain his anger.

  
“Father!” Thor booms. “What happened to Loki?”

  
Odin is unfazed. He knew this day was coming, and he knew just how large his son’s heart could be, even when the time was unfitting.   
“Nothing that he did not deserve, Thor. What really troubles you?”

  
Thor paces angrily in front of Odin as he says, “Loki refuses to speak or open his eyes. He is sickly. He…is not himself. And you never allowed me to see him!” Thor pauses as tears sting his eyes. “Why would you do that?”

  
“Because you are foolish, my son. He would have tricked you into freeing him. I could not risk that. You will understand some day.” Odin dismisses Thor with a wave, but Thor remains in his spot, shaking with anger. Odin raises an eyebrow and his gaze darkens.

  
“What are you going to do about it? Usurp the throne? Go on a murderous rampage? Kill me?” Odin laughs harshly. “You are no better than Loki if you think that will work. Since you missed him so much, perhaps you should take him into your care. Personally, I think a silent Loki is the best kind there is.” Again, Odin laughs, but stops when Thor says, “I will take him back to Midgard with me.”

  
Odin stands. “You will do no such thing!”

  
Thor approaches his father, hand automatically reaching for Mjolnir. “Since he is now freed, I am sure Director Fury will want to know his whereabouts. They will want to monitor his behavior, and what better way than right in the Tower of Avengers?”

  
Odin’s face turns red, but he can’t argue with his son’s logic. They stare each other down for what seems like hours, but finally Odin gives a sigh of resignation. “You are now a citizen of two realms. It only makes sense that you would try to abide by the laws of each. Take Loki to Midgard, but the next time he attempts to destroy it, I will kill him. I will not have shame upon the name of Odin!”

  
But Thor doesn’t hear him. He’s already half way out the door and running toward the bifrost. He’s so full of excitement that he can barely hide his wide grin over this victory with his father.

 

♦

  


“What exactly happened to Loki during his imprisonment?” Director Fury asks Thor at the impromptu meeting of the Avengers.

  
“It was not made clear to me. I am not even sure who was in charge of delivering his punishments and Odin has refused to tell me anything.” Thor explains.

  
“It sounds like he’s traumatized,” Dr. Banner suggests. All the eyes in the room shift in his direction and he re-positions himself in his chair nervously. He continues, “You said he flinches at your touch, but you haven’t seen him in five years, so it was nothing you did. That means someone or something hurt him during that time and he’s been conditioned to try and protect himself from everything that comes in contact with him. He’s not speaking. I’m not sure if that’s because he can’t or because he won’t. In children who have been abused, there have been cases where children became mute.”

  
Natasha asks, “Are you suggesting he was abused?”

  
“Serves the fucker right,” Clint cuts in. He doesn’t care about Loki or anything that has happened to the god. He still hasn’t forgiven him for the mind control business and thinks Loki deserves every bad thing that has happened to him. He catches Natasha’s side eye, and says nothing further, but he folds his arms in defiance of anyone who is willing to argue with him.

  
“Alright, so we have a war criminal with PTSD coming under our surveillance. If he’s as traumatized as you make him sound, Thor, then we shouldn’t have any issue,” Tony says. “But what do we do when he returns to normal?”

  
Fury snorts. “Do people with PTSD ever truly return to normal? At least this way, all his anger is trained toward his father and not us. He might even grow to like us, if we’re that unfortunate.”

  
“I don’t know. It wouldn’t hurt having another god on our side,” Tony suggests, and catches the look of disdain on Steve’s face for referring to Thor and Loki as gods.

  
“Or he could take out his anger for being captured at all on us. He could just be biding his time, learning what makes us tick and our weaknesses,” Steve counters.

  
Fury is silent as he thinks. Finally, he asks, “How opposed to this are you all?”

  
Natasha shrugs indifferently.

  
Bruce speaks up, “I have done some research into psychology so I could possibly rehabilitate him, if anything.”

  
Tony nods in Bruce’s direction. “He has a point. Prisons in Norway take terrible criminals, rehabilitate them, and they turn out fine.”

  
“Well fuck that noise,” Clint almost yells. “I am not for this at all.”

  
“I like the idea of having one less criminal to fight, but I’m still apprehensive.” Steve admits.

  
“Perhaps if I show him to you, your minds will be changed,” Thor suggests. He looks to Fury for approval, who nods curtly.

  
When the group sees Loki from behind the one-way viewing glass, they are absolutely silent. Natasha’s hand automatically goes to her mouth and Tony’s face becomes stoic. Clint tries his hardest not to look for long, because he doesn’t want to feel sympathy. Bruce removes his glasses and rubs his face, and Steve remains unmoved. 

  
They are silent as they stare at the god with skin completely torn and scarred. Parts of him look infected. His long hair has tangled and fallen in his face. His right shoulder hangs awkwardly from his torso, as if dislocated. There literally is no inch of his body not injured, and the look in his swollen, red eyes are full of tears.

  
Finally, Steve says quietly, “We’ll take him.”

  
♦

  
Thor takes it upon himself to care for Loki initially. He shows him his room and offers to draw a bath, but instead, Loki walks to the window and stares.   
Thor calls his name, but Loki doesn’t respond.

  
The god returns to his friends and sighs. “He will not move from the window.”

  
Bruce nods. “He’s still in shock.”

  
“Will he be alright, Dr. Banner?”

  
“Maybe. I’m gonna check over his injuries and clean him up. Do you mind helping me?”

  
Thor and Bruce return to Loki’s room to find him lying in the fetal position on the bed. Slowly, Bruce walks to the side Loki is facing and pulls over the easy chair from the window. He sets the bag in between himself and the bed and speaks quietly.

  
“Loki, do you remember me?”

  
Silence.

  
“I’m Doctor Banner, but you can call me Bruce if you’d like.” He waits for a sign of movement, but nothing happens.

  
“I’m going to look at your injuries, okay?” Bruce reaches for Loki’s arm, but the weakened god snatches away and whimpers.

  
Bruce looks to Thor for help, and the large Asgardian moves to climb on the bed and pull Loki up into his lap. Loki’s eyes are wide with fear and his whole body is trembling violently as sweat begins to pour from his face.

  
“Loki? What’s wrong?” Bruce questions.

  
“Brother, we mean you no harm. We are only trying to help,” Thor soothes, and wraps his arms around Loki in a hug. He nuzzles his face against Loki’s, and the smaller god stops trembling as much. Once he’s calmed down, Thor begins to remove his shirt gently and as soon as it’s off, Loki goes limp, the dead stare returning to his eyes. He slumps against Thor’s chest and Bruce stands up, concerned.

  
“Okay, that was definitely unexpected.” But in the back of his mind, his worst suspicions are already forming. He doesn’t have the heart to say it to Thor, but he will definitely say something to Fury.

  
“Continue undressing him,” Bruce says, hesitantly, wishing none of this were necessary. He thinks, It’s always sad to see victims of abuse, but to see someone who destroyed a planet and attempted to conquer another in such a state…

  
Once Thor has Loki naked, he lays him gently on his back and Bruce begins his inspection. He pops Loki’s shoulder back in place, administers a few shots of penicillin, and stitches the multitude of wounds across his body. Then, a thought occurs to him.

  
“He can practice magic, right?”

  
Thor nods. “But I am unsure of how effective it is now.”

  
Bruce continues his work, keeping that in mind. He sends Thor to fetch all the ice packs from the freezer in the kitchen and uses the time alone to ask some unsettling questions.

  
“Loki, did anyone touch you while you were imprisoned?” Bruce’s throat feels dry, and he regrets signing up for psych duty. Loki’s eyes suddenly fill with life and recognition again and the trembling starts.

  
“Hey, it’s okay. Just tell me. I know it’s uncomfortable for you to talk about, but I need to know so I can help you heal.” Bruce takes Loki’s hand in his own and strokes it gently. Loki’s eyes flit between Bruce’s intense gaze and where their skin is meeting.

  
“Did anyone touch you sexually?”

  
Loki’s eyes shut and tears seep through onto the pillow beneath him. Bruce lets go and hides his face in his hands as his elbows rest on his knees.    
Thor returns with an arm full of ice packs and raises an eyebrow. “Is everything alright?”

  
Bruce stands and nods. “Yeah. Will you stay the night with him? Put the ice all over his body and remove it every thirty minutes. Flip him over and do the same with the other side.”

  
Bruce helps with showing Thor where exactly to place the packs, but stops when he sees Loki’s skin turning blue.

  
“Do not be alarmed, Banner. He is of Jotun descent. His true people were frost giants, and as such, he has a high tolerance to cold,” Thor explains.

  
Bruce slaps himself in the face. “Then the ice packs might not help. I could give him some Benadryl, but I don’t think I can get him to open his mouth.”

  
He walks to the door, stops, then says, “Do what I said anyways. Can’t hurt.”

  
♦

  
“Director Fury.”

  
“Doctor Banner.”

  
“Loki has been subjugated to physical, psychological, and sexual abuses.”

  
Fury doesn’t even miss a beat. “He told you this?”

  
“In a way. Body language mostly.”

  
“Do what you need. Does he require outside help?”

  
Bruce has thought about this for a couple of hours, and decided that given Loki’s hesitancy toward his own brother, bringing in more strangers wouldn’t be favorable.

  
“No, not that I see necessary. I just thought you should know what we’re dealing with. Even if I can coax him into communicating with others again, he’s never going to be the same.”

  
“Just how fucked up is he?”

  
“Have you ever seen _Requiem for a Dream_?”

  
“Yes.”

  
“Ellen Burstyn at the end.”

  
Fury lets out a whistle and states, “I don’t want him fully healed for obvious reasons, but at least make him functioning.”

  
“I’m doing my best, sir.”

  
♦

  
“So how goes the Catatonic Liesmith?” Tony asks at breakfast. “Has he said anything? Burst into a fit of tears?”

  
Bruce gives him a look of distaste. “I’m not disclosing anything with any of you. He’s my patient, and therefor has patient rights.”   
“Oh whatever. You just like feeling needed.”

  
Bruce offers a small smile, but says nothing else. He finishes his coffee and then prepares a bowl of oatmeal to take to Loki. He doesn’t know if the god ever was fed, but he knows food is still important to all creatures.

  
When he gets to Loki’s room, he finds the door open. Bruce walks in slowly, seeing Loki nowhere to be found. Then, he hears the sound of splashing water coming from the bathroom, and he sets the bowl on the bed stand.

  
The doctor walks as quietly as possible to the attached bathroom and looks in to see a shirtless Thor gently pouring water over Loki’s head. He watches them silently for a few minutes before Thor says, “I could not let my brother remain in filth. The old Loki would never have it.”

  
The bath water is a dingy grayish brown, but Loki’s wounds and cuts look much better. The bruising has almost completely healed. Bruce chalks this up to magic, but he gives himself a mental pat on the back anyways.

  
“I brought him breakfast. It’s sitting on the bed stand cooling off.”

  
Thor smiles appreciatively. Bruce notices how relaxed Loki looks in the tub. His head is resting against the tiles and his body is at ease without being completely mentally detached.

  
“I’ll go get him some clothes.”

  
“Thank you, doctor.”

  
When Bruce leaves, Thor returns his attention to Loki, who now has his eyes closed and the beginnings of a smile on his face. Thor runs a hand through the now untangled hair and leans forward to kiss his brother’s forehead.

  
“I promise I will take care of you, Loki. I will make up for everything. I swear it.”

  
Thor helps Loki out of the tub and dries him off. Loki walks on unsteady legs back to the bed and looks at the bowl of oatmeal.

  
“Oatmeal I see. Loki, this food tastes good. I implore you to eat it.” Thor hands him the bowl, and Loki looks at it pitifully.

  
“Can you not eat? Have they stolen your tongue?”

  
Loki’s eyes water again and Thor puts the bowl down. He grabs Loki’s mouth and forces it open. Shocked, he stumbles backward, but steadies himself again. Of course they would cut the tongue from a trickster’s mouth. Thor swallows and straightens his posture. He has to be strong, if for no one other than Loki.   
“You can still eat. It will help. I shall find other forms of nourishment.” Thor takes the bowl and heads downstairs.

  
“Friends, I require your help. Is there a food substance that does not need to be chewed?” Thor asks to no one in particular. Everyone stops what they’re doing and looks up.

  
“Why? What’s wrong?” Steve asks.

  
“Okay, that’s not helping. He asked a question and you countered with another question.” Tony interrupts before Thor can answer. “The answer is protein shakes. You can substitute a meal with them and I know we have a bunch because Clint loves them.” Tony leads Thor to the kitchen, and then thinks to ask, “So why do you need protein shakes?”

  
Steve and Natasha have followed the two, Clint remaining behind because he refuses to have anything to do with Loki. As Thor grabs the box from the pantry, he explains his discovery. Tony can’t help his sound of disgust, but takes a packet from the box and begins preparing it.

  
“That’s just cruel. That’d be like if they cut off your hands so you couldn’t use your hammer anymore.”

  
Thor nods, understanding. “But he does possess magic in his body, so I’m sure it will heal. His other injuries have already improved.”

  
“Can we see him?” Steve asks, and everyone just looks at him. He shrugs. “I’m concerned. Sorry.”

  
Thor shakes his head. “I feel that would be too much too soon. He is walking on his own and becoming more comfortable with me. I do not want to rush things.”

  
The others agree quietly and Steve and Natasha leave. Clint gets up when he sees Natasha returning, but she silences him with a look. Frustrated, he decides to go to the lower level gym and work out his anger.

  
♦

  
Bruce inspects Loki’s mouth and makes note of the strange looking burn marks on his cheeks and what’s left of his tongue.

  
“Keep him on the protein shake diet, but add in some variety. Smoothies offer a lot of other nutrients besides just protein, and that’ll be important. I think a smoothie for lunch is good. Juice for a snack, milkshake for desert.” He looks back down at Loki and asks, “Can you still taste?”

  
Loki responds with a few flicks of his hand.

  
“Kind of? Well that’s still a sign of promise. Can you grow back limbs?”

  
Loki shrugs his shoulders.

  
“Well you’ve already made a lot of improvement already. Guess you’ve had a great nurse.” Bruce smiles up at Thor, who beams back.

  
“Thor, would you mind giving us some time alone? I want to ask him some questions.”

  
“He is my brother. Can I not listen along?”

  
Bruce shakes his head. “When it comes to matter such as these, it’s best if it’s only between the patient and the professional.”

  
Thor bows briefly to the doctor’s explanation and leaves them. Already, Loki has tensed again and Bruce restrains himself from making any sort of body contact, even in comfort. He sits in the chair across from the bed and pulls out one of Tony’s tablets to take notes.

  
“Can you answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’ to some of my questions? We can stop any time you want, but the more information I have, the better I can help you.”

  
Loki doesn’t respond.

  
“Nod for yes and shake your head for no. Pretty easy. Can we begin?”

  
Nod.

  
“Okay. Were you contained for five years straight?”

  
Nod.

  
“Did you receive any food, water, or medical treatment in that time?”

  
Shake.

  
“Did you come in contact with any people?”

  
Nod.

  
“Did they beat you?”

  
Nod.

  
“Did they sexually assault you?”

  
Loki’s face turns red and begins perspiring, but he nods.

  
“Would you like to stop the questioning?”

  
He hesitates, but shakes his head.

  
Bruce smiles. “Thank you, Loki. I know it’s really hard, but I appreciate your cooperation. Did they use any devices of torture or weapons?”

  
Shake.

  
Bruce’s face contorts in confusion. Some of the markings on his skin could only come from weapons.

  
“Were you made to hurt yourself with weapons?”

  
Shake.

  
Bruce can’t believe he’s asking himself this, but he continues, “Did the weapons attack on their own?”

  
Nod.

  
Bruce sits back in his chair and rubs his face. From behind his hand he asks, “Were you capable of using your own magic?”

  
Shake.

  
Bruce finally sees the whole picture. Isolated except for rapists and enchanted objects that attacked. No food, no water, and probably no sanitary way for Loki to relieve himself. He turns off the tablet and stands. He walks over to Loki, sits beside him, and gently rubs his back. Loki flinches initially, but relaxes again.

  
“Hey, you did great. Why don’t you get some rest, okay? I’ll be back to check on your stitches later.” Bruce gives him a final pat on the back before leaving the god to himself. He adds before walking out the door, “You’re not a prisoner here, you know. You can leave this room if you’d like.”

  
Loki watches the man leave and lies down on the bed. He wonders if he can make his tongue grow back. The chamber he was kept in subdued his magic, but now…

  
Loki scrabbles desperately in his head to remember the old spells he had worked so hard to learn. Raising his hands in front of him, he waves them apart to form a stick of ice. He smiles to see his magic is coming back at once, and then gets up from the bed to summon his staff. It takes a little more effort, but then Loki is whipping it around in glee. It feels good to move freely again and not be bound by fear. He dismisses the staff and looks at the stitches in his skin. Loki sits down and begins to focus on healing them. By the time he has half of the stitches out of his skin and the wounds healed, he’s completely exhausted. He had forgotten how much energy magic required, and even in this relatively renewed state, basic things take a lot of energy from him.

  
The god lies on his bed and thinks about the past few days. He’s glad to be free and be treated so well, but beneath the relief is fear and anger. These are his enemies who are showing him kindness. The doctor beat him into a slab of concrete during their last encounter, and now he was offering him counsel. It doesn’t sit right with Loki, and he fears for his safety once he’s fully healed, if he ever returns to full health, that is.

  
Five years is just long enough to cause permanent damage, and what happened to Loki would have permanent effects to anyone.

  
Loki rolls over and thinks about Thor. His brother is treating him the nicest he has ever treated him, but Loki is still mad. He knew Thor couldn’t get to him because the All Father forbade it.

  
_But he’s Thor! He blunders into situations based on emotion alone; did he not care enough to fight to see me?_

  
The question settles like a dark cloud over his head and Loki tries his best to dispel it with reminders of the kindness Thor has shown him.

  
_Five years and he couldn’t figure out how to see me for even a second?_

  
Loki clenches a fist but releases it immediately out of conditioning. Anytime he moved as if to attack, one of his tormentors, really just guards who were supposed to keep people out, would strike him down. Loki’s heart stops beating for a second and he looks around worriedly. Of course, there is no one there, and he relaxes again.

  
_But this is the house of my enemies. Their kindness is short lived. I have nowhere to go when I am finished here, if Odin will not have me back._  
Loki sighs in frustration. _I have burned all my bridges._

 __  
♦

  
When Bruce returns before bed, he’s surprised to see where Loki has healed himself. He smiles and offers congratulations to the god, but something is different. Loki allows Bruce to touch him, but his eyes are cold and narrow, much like they were five years ago when they fought.

  
“You know, there’s a chance you could help us. We don’t have to be enemies, Loki,” Bruce tries to reason. Loki ignores the comment and when Bruce announces he’s finished, he backs away until he hits the edge of the bed and then scoots up to sit against the headboard.

  
Bruce doesn’t move. Did I do something wrong?

  
“Would you like me to get Thor?”

  
Shake.

  
“Goodnight, Loki.”

  
♦

  
The next day, Natasha comes by Loki’s room and upon seeing her, he immediately fills with dread. She’s the first avenger he’s seen since coming here that isn’t Thor or Bruce, but her arms are full of books and she’s smiling as she walks in.

  
“I figured you might be bored. I asked Thor what kind of books you like to read, and he brought these back from Asgard.” She dumps them on the bed and Loki immediately jumps for them. He could curse her for being so careless. He gives her a glare, but stops when he sees her smirk.

  
“You know, I could kill you right now,” she says slowly. Loki watches her as she moves onto the bed to sit right next to him.

  
“You hurt my friends. You made Clint try to kill me. I have every reason to kill you.”

  
Loki begins to try and draw to energy from deep within to summon a dagger.

  
“But I won’t because you honestly pose no threat and I’ve learned that maybe revenge isn’t always the best road to take.”

  
Loki relaxes and lets out a sigh. Natasha laughs and picks up one of the books. She flips it open and frowns. “I don’t understand this language. I mean, the characters kind of look familiar but it’s totally foreign. Is it about magic?”

  
Loki nods.

  
“Cool. Do you like stories?”

 

Nod.

  
And Natasha proceeds to talk Loki’s ear off about the different missions she’s been on and the people she’s killed. Part of it is intimidation, and the other part is just because she’s bored. But Loki doesn’t mind, because the tales she tells fill him with excitement and impress him. If he does decide to fight his way out, he will be sure to avoid her at all costs.

  
She goes on for two hours before she stops and looks at her watch. “Oh wow, I didn’t realize I had talked for so long. Bruce said liquid diet only. Wanna get a smoothie?” Before Loki can answer, she has his wrist in her hand is leading him out of the room and down the hall to the elevator.

  
“Bruce bought all these fruits and supplements. Smoothies are great, just trust me. Well, maybe don’t trust me since, you know, but when it comes to food, trust me.”

  
They step out of the elevator and Loki is glad to see no one else in sight. They have the whole place to themselves, and Loki takes the time to examine his surroundings and the lived in feel of the place. Couches, chairs, and tables arranged around a large, flat television, on the far wall are computers lined up neatly, and there’s a punching bag hanging from the ceiling in a corner.

  
The kitchen is tidy, and Natasha goes about pulling out fruit and setting it on the table in front of Loki. As she’s distracted, the god waves his hand over the pineapple, mangos, and peaches. They shimmer briefly, and when Natasha turns around, she sees the fruit neatly sliced, peeled, and the pits removed.  
Loki smirks and Natasha gives him a slow smile. It’s not a threat, but she knows he’s able to use magic to some degree. Loki likes how the playing field is evened now. He doesn’t feel as weak and useless as before.

  
“So if you can use your magic, can you heal yourself?” Natasha asks as she dumps the fruit in the blender and adds ice and almond milk.

  
Loki flips his hand again to signify “sort of” and the spy nods. “So you could kill me too, huh?”

  
Loki smiles and shrugs.

  
Natasha returns the gesture and starts the blender. Neither of them hears Clint walk in, but Loki feels his presence, the extra body of warmth in an enclosed area.

  
“Who let the freak out of his cage?” Clint yells over the blender.

  
Natasha stops it and turns around, hair flying in her face.

  
“He’s not a prisoner, Clint.” She gives him a warning look, but he ignores it. He drops his gym bag by the door and yanks a chair from the table to sit opposite of Loki. The god feels his pulse racing and tries to look everywhere but in front of him.

  
“Hey asshole, what’s wrong? Can’t look me in the eye? That’s funny, because you were looking me in the eye when you fucking took over my body!” Clint slams his hands on the table and leans over it. He grabs Loki’s jaw and forces him to meet his gaze.

  
“You acted like you were tough shit. Now look at you, sitting here all crippled and pathetic.”

  
“Clint.”

  
“You think you can just break in – ”

  
“Clint.”

  
“And try to tear us apart again?”

  
“Clint!”

  
The archer stands up and snaps his head around. “What?”

  
Natasha’s arms are folded across her chest and Clint recognizes the look in her eyes. She’s mad.

  
“Oh what the hell did I do? You know I’m right!”

  
“This isn’t how we agreed we were going to handle things.”

  
“Yeah, because spoiling him will help? No, he needs to be punished for what he’s done.”

  
Natasha grabs his face and turns it toward Loki. They both stare at the god whose eyes are close and sweat is dripping down his face. Natasha calls his name softly, and when he opens his eyes, tears roll down his cheeks. She turns Clint’s face back to her.

  
“Does he look like he’s been let off the hook? You saw him when he first came here. He couldn’t even walk because of what he had been through. You’ve been in his position before, Clint. Don’t forget that.” She lets go of his face and turns to continue what she was doing. Clint knows the conversation is over, but he’s still mad. He glares at Loki as he walks out, but says nothing.

  
Natasha sets the glass in front of him, and the sound snaps Loki out of whatever state he had slipped into.

  
“Drink it. You’ll feel better in more ways than one. And maybe when you can talk again, you can teach me how to read those books, okay?”

  
Loki wipes his face with his hand and nods. They sip their smoothies in silence.

  
♦

  
“Did you have a good day today?” Bruce asks.

  
Hand flip.

  
“I heard what happened with Clint. He can be abrasive, but don’t worry; I’m going to talk to him too.” Pause. “Did you enjoy Natasha’s company?”

  
Nod.

  
Bruce smiles. “She can be very distant and cold, kind of like you. I think you two would get along well.”

  
Loki draws his knees to his chin and closes his eyes, a look of concentration falling over his face.

  
“You really want to talk, don’t you?”

  
Nod.

  
Bruce takes off his glasses and sets the tablet down. He leans forward and says, “I think you can do it, regrow your tongue. It’s not a crucial muscle and it’s just a wound. In fact, it looks like they burned it to seal it shut. Maybe, if you focused really hard – ”

  
“I am!” Loki snaps.

  
They both pause and stare. Loki’s eyes fill with a mixture of confusion and happiness, but something akin to fear as well.

  
“Loki that’s amazing!” Bruce jumps up excitedly. “Come on, we need to show the others!”

  
Loki looks down somberly. “I am afraid.”

  
Bruce sits on the bed and lays his hand on Loki’s knee. The god doesn’t react.

  
“Why?”

  
“Because I have nowhere to go! I honestly didn’t realize my magic was that strong, but then Thor brought back my books from Asgard and I was able to find the right spells…” He trails off, swallows, and then continues, “But now you all know I’m almost self-sufficient and can release me or imprison me further.”

  
“Loki, we don’t want to imprison you. We figure you’ve been through enough as is. If it were up to us, you’d serve life in a cell alone. What happened to you in Asgard…we punish people for doing that to others, Loki. If anything, we were hoping you might help us.”

  
Loki scoffs. “Help? I am of no help to you all. You have Thor and I tried to rule your planet. What help could I be? Surely your director does not want me to join your little band of fighters.”

  
Bruce smiles timidly. “Maybe not, but you know a lot about magic and other worlds. We might have use for you. As you can already tell, we’re not totally ready for god-tier invaders. We’re still rebuilding from the damage you caused.”

  
Loki falls silent and then whispers, “I am sorry for the loss I caused.”

  
Bruce pats his leg. “At least you’re sorry. That’s all we can ask for right now. But think about the offer, okay?”

  
Loki nods. “Thank you for your kindness, Dr. Banner. I had my reservations, but seeing how you are not oversized, green, and trying to beat me through the floor, I feel oddly comfortable around you.”

  
Bruce laughs. “Most people aren’t comfortable around me, just because I have that potential.”

  
“You are not a monster. You seem like you would run from a fight.”

  
“And you seem like you have more issues beneath the surface you’re not letting out.”

  
They stare at each other, measuring the other up.

  
“I’m gonna go get Thor. Or would you like to come say “hi” to everyone?”

  
“Is Clint out there?”

  
Bruce hesitates and then curses to himself. “He is, but I can promise – ”

  
“I can take care of myself again, doctor, thank you.” Loki rises and follows Bruce out the door.

  
♦

  
“Oh hey there, Sleeping Beauty!” Tony greets when he sees Bruce and Loki come off the elevator.

  
“I’m afraid I do not understand. I was not asleep,” Loki replies as he cocks an eyebrow.

  
Tony stands slack jawed but smiling at the sound of Loki’s voice. “Bruce you’re a healer! Come on, we’re going to get you a show on TV and replace Dr. Oz.”

  
The three of them sit on the couch and Tony is full of questions, but doesn’t ask because he doesn’t want to upset Loki. Steve walks in with a can of soda and stops.

  
“Hey, how are you feeling?” He asks calmly.

  
“I am doing well, thanks to Dr. Banner. How are you?” Comes Loki’s reply, and Steve’s face lights up in a similar way to Tony’s.

  
“So you can heal yourself?” He asks as he sits in the easy chair next to them.

  
“If I focus my energy on it. Magic can tire one out quickly.”

  
“Do you need to take a nap? We can let you rest if you’d like,” Steve offers.

  
“Ever the gentleman with you,” Tony snarks, but he smiles. “No way are we letting him go back to the Chamber of Secrets. Now that you’re talking again, you can hang out with us. Well, you could before but you were being all classified to yourself. Do you like steak? We can get steak. Or maybe Italian?”

  
“I am not hungry enough for a feast, but perhaps a snack?”

  
“Yeah, let me just order a few pizzas, no problem.” Tony picks up his phone, presses a few buttons, and sets it back down.

  
“I can text them. It’s much easier that way.”

  
“Text?”

  
Tony holds his fingers out in front of him and wiggles them up and down, mimicking a keyboard. “It’s like typing. They must not have typing on Asgard. Do you write everything by hand?”

  
“Yes.”

  
“I saw those books. They were huge.”

  
“They took some time to compile.” Loki pauses and looks around. “Where is Thor?”

  
“He had some business to attend to but he’ll be back in a while.”

  
The elevator door slides open and Natasha and Clint step out. Immediately, the tension in the room becomes palpable, and Clint walks forward, but keeps his eye trained on Loki. Natasha’s hand is on his back, guiding him forward, but then he does an about face turn and throws his bag down.

  
“Having a powwow? Don’t let him make a tool out of you. Well, you were already kind of a tool, Tony, so the work is halfway done.”

  
Tony sits up straighter and points a finger. “I resent that observation. And we are not having a powwow. Loki’s tongue grew back.”

  
Clint’s eyes dart back and forth between where Loki is sitting and Bruce. Bruce is eyeing him over his glasses with a warning look, and he can feel Nat’s hand clench around his bicep.

  
“Good for him. He can leave then.”

  
“I am in the room. There is no need to discuss me as if I do not exist.” Loki says quietly.

  
Clint breaks from Natasha’s grip and in seconds he’s in front of Loki, who stands, slightly shaking, but towering over Clint.

  
“Feeling stronger already? Think you can take me on? You lousy sack of shit. I will fucking break you for what you’ve done.”

  
For a second, Loki seems to deflate, as if all the fight has gone out of him. But in an instant, his eyes flash with anger and his hand shoots up for Clint’s neck, then stops and curls into a fist. He nudges Clint’s head up to better stare him in the eye.

  
“Do you think you can break me, archer?” Loki hisses. “Do you think yourself capable of condemning your own son to torture for five years with no contact except those who seek to take advantage of him on a whim? Do you think you can bring yourself to knowingly violate someone repeatedly for that long? Do you think you can break me any further than I have already broken?” Loki’s voice cracks and tears spill forth, but he doesn’t stop. His fist clenches around Clint’s jaw and he forces him to look at Natasha.

  
“Do you think you could do any of that to her? Willingly? Eagerly? If so, then I doubt you belong here after all. Yes, I took control of your mind and body. I learned all your secrets and do you know what I learned?”

  
Loki snaps Clint’s head back in front of him. “I learned that you have great capacity to break someone further than they can possibly be broken. You have it in you. That’s why I fear you most, Barton.” Loki’s mouth curls into an evil smile and his voice falls quieter.

  
“But I know how to break people too, and I could crush your head into a pulp and drink it through a straw. But that’s too merciful. No, I was raised by a hardened king with no sympathy and born from the loins of a king with no humanity. I have seen things that would reduce you to a bawling baby.”

  
Loki releases Clint’s jaw and shoves him back. “You have a choice, Barton. Continue with your threats, or cease them. We both know what will happen if you try to make good of them. You will be dealing with another war. Odin might be compassionless, but he stands for all things related to Asgard. Thor and I are all that stand between war with Asgard and Midgard. You will do well to remember that.”

  
Clint was trembling, but otherwise still. Natasha led him away by the elbow and cast a suspicious glance over her shoulder at Loki.

  
He collapsed back on the couch and sighed. “I’ve been wanting to get that out of my system. He is quite insufferable.”

  
The others didn’t speak. There was nothing to say.

  
♦

  
“Brother!” Thor scoops Loki up into a ferocious hug and squeezes his brother until he is wheezing.

  
“By Odin’s crows, Thor, are you trying to make me bed ridden again?” Loki coughs and Thor pats him on the back roughly.

  
“I am sorry, Loki! I am but excited to see you in better health! The doctor is truly wonderful, is he not?”

  
Bruce holds up his hands and chuckles. “I just practice basic psychology. Read a few books and studies.”

  
“Do not humble yourself! You have helped a god recover. Very few can say that of themselves.” Thor pulls him into a tight side hug, and Bruce tries to worm his way out.

  
“Right, well there’s still a lot to do in the way of healing,” Bruce pauses and looks at Loki. “That is, if you’ll allow me to help. You don’t have to continue talking to me.”

  
Loki smiles and nods. “I appreciate your company, doctor. I would enjoy continuing our meetings.”

  
“Good,” Bruce gives him a genuine, open smile.

  
♦

  
Tony decides to throw a party for Steve’s birthday, and Tony’s floor is full of people. Steve tries to carry on conversations politely, but feels slightly overwhelmed by all the attention. He spots Bruce in a far corner sitting with some man and desperately tries to make eye contact.

  
Bruce sees the desperation in his eyes, excuses himself, and comes to lead Steve away under the pretense of “important Avengers stuff.”

  
“Thank you so much for that. I didn’t want to be rude but I had no idea who Lil Wayne is and these girls are just so…” He makes a wild motion with his hands. “Young. How does Tony know all these people?”

  
Bruce chuckles and shakes his head. “He doesn’t. Pepper makes the invites, Tony bullshits. That’s how it works.”

  
Steve nods, then asks, “Who is the guy you were talking to?”

  
Bruce looks behind them and a few feet away, a lean man with neatly coifed strawberry blond hair and goatee sits patiently, sipping his drink. He’s wearing a light blue dress shirt, neatly pressed black vest, and matching black slacks.

  
“That’s Loki. I didn’t want him to be alone, so I had him come down in the guise of someone else.”

  
Steve starts to say something, but stops. Instead, he says, “Take care of him, okay?”

  
Bruce just smiles and walks away.

  
Loki doesn’t like his drink very much (he had been given something called a Mai Tai, and it was sweet and fruity), but doesn’t know what to request otherwise from the foreign bar. He’d ask the doctor, but Banner already admitted he didn’t drink much and this was just for celebratory purposes. Still, Loki finished his cup and set it on a napkin on the table in front of him.

  
“Sorry about that. I had to save Steve from jailbait.” Bruce almost falls into his chair and sighs as he picks up his martini and takes a few sips.

  
“Did you like your drink?”

  
Loki offers an apologetic smile. “I’m afraid not particularly. It is too…sweet. Perhaps something more bitter?”

  
Bruce thinks about it for a few seconds and nods. “Follow me,” he says, and Loki does.

  
They make their way through the crowd of semi-dancing drunks and when they arrive at the bar, Loki is surprised to see Natasha working.  
“What can I get for you?” She asks, not recognizing him. Loki almost smirks.

  
“Something bitter and strong.”

  
Nodding, Natasha walks away and begins preparing the drink. She returns with a thin, small glass like a champagne flute and fills it with a clear, green liquid. She starts to add water, but stops herself.

  
“If you can stomach this without a single flinch, the rest of your drinks are on the house.”

  
Loki sniffs the drink before tossing it back. He sets the glass down gently and smiles.

  
Bruce is staring at him now with mild surprise, Natasha matching his gaze.

  
When she walks away, Loki gives a small burp and excuses himself. “That was actually still kind of sweet. I hope she brings something stronger.”

  
“Loki, that was absinthe. It’s illegal in some places. You can set it on fire.”

  
“Maybe she should have done just that.”

  
They laugh quietly and Loki feels a sense of comfort in being around Bruce. He’s always quiet and polite, far more so than any of the other Avengers, and yet he has the possibility of becoming an enraged monster everyone fears. Loki thinks, Is that how they see me now? Or did they always see me as that on Asgard? He feels the familiar sense of anxiety and mistrust growing inside of him, but then he’s hit with a sudden light-headedness and clutches Bruce’s arm.

  
“You okay? Absinthe is pretty strong, even for a god.”

  
Loki nods and begins giggling. He leans against Banner and buries his face in the swath of dark curls, inhaling the scent of Nivea shampoo and purring into his scalp.

  
Bruce blushes and pulls the drunk god off of him. Natasha returns with two glasses, one for the both of them, and raises an eyebrow.

  
“Here’s our drinks. Come on, let’s go sit down,” Bruce tries to reason with the god. Loki grabs the glass and sips the amber colored liquid daintily. He scrunches his nose, then smiles. “That’s more like it. Thank you, Ms. Romanoff.” And before Nat can stop him and ask how he knows her name (her tag says Ariel, to the humor of Tony Stark), he’s sauntering off, dragging the doctor along with him. Their previous spots have been occupied, and Loki frowns.

  
“We can go upstairs if you want somewhere quiet,” Bruce suggests, resting his hand on Loki’s lower back and guiding him through the crowd to the private elevator.

  
Loki just smiles as they ride in silence, and if Bruce is going to be honest with himself, it makes him feel strange. He’s on his toes; he won’t get drunk, mainly because he could lose control, but also because there’s now another drunken god on the premises. But this one has more issues than the _Brightest Day_ storyline, Bruce thinks to himself, smiling at his comic book reference. They slip into Loki’s room and close the door, the sounds of the party now distant and muffled.

  
“Doctor, you haven’t had any of your drink! In Asgard, that would be an offense to the host.” Loki sits on the bed, falters a bit to stay up right, and settles himself against the headboard.

  
Bruce shrugs. “I’m not much of a drinker, to be honest, although Natasha always prepares great drinks.” He climbs up besides the taller man and they sit there in the darkness together.

  
Bruce doesn’t remember falling asleep, but when he wakes, Loki has returned to his true identity and has his arms wrapped around Bruce in a cozy hug. Sun light filters in through the window, but he can’t tell just what time it is.

  
The door clicks open and Bruce snaps his eyes shut, afraid to answer any questions. He hears heavy footsteps and the sound of a disapproving grunt, but then the footsteps leave and the door closes.

  
Bruce leaves before Loki can ask where he’s going.

  
♦

  
That night, Thor comes to Loki’s room and Loki doesn’t look up from his reading.

  
“How can I help you, brother?”

  
Thor is silent as he approaches the bed and pushes the books out of his way to sit down.

  
“You and Doctor Banner are close.”

  
Loki doesn’t even blink. He knows his brother too well to entertain his trivial games of possessiveness.

  
“If you are asking whether we are involved, we are not. Nothing happened last night. We slept and that is all. I enjoy his company and he helps me with certain…conflicts I have within myself. That is all, Thor. Do not hurt yourself thinking too hard over the matter.” Loki closes the book and sets it on the bed stand. Thor still hasn’t moved, and Loki rolls his eyes.

  
“Oh you are so fickle. You are my brother, he is my friend,” Loki pats Thor’s hand gently and says, “I will not replace you with him nor anyone else. Now if you’ll please, I’d like to go to sleep.”

  
Thor stands and nods. “Of course. Thank you, Loki.” He starts for the door, but pauses and turns. “Might I sleep with you tonight?”

  
Loki barely restrains the sigh that nearly escapes from his lips and nods. Thor bounds around the bed happily, stripping his clothes, and slides in under the covers. He pulls Loki into a tight embrace, holding his brother flush against his body. Loki squirms in his grip and grumbles, “I will kick you out of this bed, Thor, if you do not relinquish your hold at once.”

  
Thor chuckles, his laugh deep and rumbly in his chest. “You and your threats. I have come to miss them so much, brother.” Thor grins and kisses Loki’s forehead, the younger god scowling and pouting.

  
“I’m not a child! I will not be patronized!” But his cries fall on deaf ears as Thor buries his face into the crook of Loki’s neck and digs his hair into the long, black locks. The trickster inhales sharply and holds his breath as Thor’s left hand slides down his back, squeezing his ass.

  
“Thor,” Loki asks hesitantly. “What do you think you are doing?”

  
Thor doesn’t open his eyes, but grinds his growing erection into Loki’s hip. “I want to make you feel good, brother.”

  
Loki trembles, but says nothing as he allows his brother to have sex with him.

  
♦

  
The next day, Bruce comes to Loki for their daily meetings and immediately recognizes something is wrong. The god’s body language is stiff and he has a blank expression on his face. The doctor sits next to him on the bed and they sit in silence for a while until Loki blurts out, “I had sex with Thor!”

  
Bruce doesn’t say anything at first, because this is a delicate situation. Instead, he goes for a clichéd question: “How does that make you feel?”

  
Loki paces around the room talking at ten miles a minute, and Bruce struggles to keep up.

  
“He just sort of forced himself on me and I didn’t stop him. Does that make me perverted?”

  
Bruce shakes his head. “He took advantage of you. You were a victim of sexual abuse and by giving in, you avoided further hurt. You still think like that, even if you’re not aware of it. But Thor should have been able to tell by your body language that you didn’t want it.”

  
Loki falls on his back on the bed and groans. “I showed no resistance. It felt good. I reached climax.”

  
“Doesn’t change anything. That’s a natural body reaction. Let me ask you something: did he explicitly ask you for permission?”

  
“No…”

  
“Then he raped you.”

  
“No! I didn’t fight back or stop him. I just let him.”

  
“So he used you. Either way, it’s not right.” Bruce frowns and says, “I don’t want you near him. Either you tell him you need boundaries or I will explain that what he did is almost punishable by imprisonment here on Earth.”

  
Loki’s face is frozen in shock, but he says, “I will tell him.”

  
“Good. And lock your door at night.”

  
♦

  
Thor returns that night, and Loki lets him in.

  
♦

  
Bruce and Loki sit silently. Finally, Bruce gets up and says, “I can’t make you do anything. You know what you’re doing. If you need to talk, let me know, but I’m not going to keep telling you what to do if you won’t listen.”

  
Loki, for the first time since his imprisonment, feels utterly alone as the doctor walks out. Part of him is tempted to jump up and go after him, but the other part tells him that this will be a regular occurrence for the rest of his life, and he need not get used to the idea of friends.

  
For a brief moment, the fleeting thought of suicide enters Loki’s mind and it sends shivers down his spine. He knows he would not be missed, and he deserves to die for the deaths he caused.

  
The idea begins to sound pleasant, but something in the back of his mind stops him from opening the window and jumping the twenty stories.

  
♦

  
Loki takes to silence again, drifting out of his room only when everyone else is asleep and sleeping when everyone else is awake. One night, Thor comes to his bedroom, only to find the door locked. He furrows his brow in confusion, but he leaves the matter be. It’s only when Loki runs into Tony that he sees a problem.

  
Loki is sitting at the table reading a book and eating a bowl of cereal when the scientist walks in. He pauses for a moment before making his presence known.

  
“It’s 3:37 a.m., no one has seen or heard from you in two weeks, and here you are, eating Cocoa Pebbles.” Tony pulls up a chair from across the table to sit down. “What’s going on?”

  
The god doesn’t answer him, but sighs.

  
“Okay, the silent treatment, I get it. But seeing how I haven’t said or done anything, that means someone else has. The only people who’ve seen you since before your hiatus are Thor and Bruce. Now, I know Bruce doesn’t have a malicious bone in his body, so unless he has recently become an asshole, that means Thor did something.” He lowers his head to try and make contact with the trickster’s eyes. “Am I close?”

  
Loki looks up briefly and closes his book. “You ask questions you don’t want the answers to.”

  
Tony rolls his eyes. “I’m nosy. Of course I want the answers.”

  
Loki shakes his head. “These are not the answers you expect. It means nothing; do not worry yourself.”

  
He leaves the table before Tony can ask anything else, and the billionaire just grabs his bowl and finishes the cereal.

  
♦

  
Loki starts showing his face again, if only to set the others at ease and remove the certain suspicion that had grown. He and Natasha exchange stories, he talks military strategy with Steve, and tries to explain magic to Tony. He avoids Clint at all costs, and lowers his gaze when Bruce catches his eye. When Thor is there, as he frequently travels between New Mexico, New York, and Asgard, he puts on a smile and allows his brother body contact. When this happens in front of Bruce, the doctor meets his eyes and gives him a sad look.

  
 _All I do is hurt people_ , Loki thinks to himself.

  
He leaves the common area and heads to his room, giving Bruce one final look of apology. _I’m sorry I’m not stronger. I’m sorry I’m a disappointment._

  
And that simple thought unleashes years upon years of built up anger, mostly at himself. He goes to his room and stares out the window, down at the ground far below. Loki wants to make things right, wants to help somehow, but he knows he can’t, or perhaps that he won’t. I’ve become too comfortable here.

  
He doesn’t realize Bruce is standing in the doorway, watching him until he says quietly, “I hope you’re not thinking what I’m thinking.”

  
Loki smiles gently, not turning around. “And if I am?”

  
Bruce walks into the room and wraps his arms around Loki’s waist from behind. He doesn’t inhale his scent, rub his face into his back, or press his lower body against Loki. He just holds him and they stare out the window. They stand there in silence for who knows how long, until Bruce feels wetness drip on his arm. He spins the taller man around to face him and realizes Loki’s face is blotchy and his eyes red with tears.

  
They say nothing as they hug, and nothing really needs to be said.

  
♦

  
From that moment, Bruce and Loki become inseparable. Loki sleeps in Bruce’s bed, that way Thor can’t try anything, and they eat their meals together. Tony makes a joke about them being “the odd couple” and Natasha just smiles and squeezes Loki’s shoulder comfortingly.

  
Thor smiles, but there’s a darkness in his eyes.

  
The one moment Loki is separated from Bruce, which is when he’s meeting with some representatives from the military, Thor approaches Loki in the library.  
“Brother, you have been avoiding me,” he announces.

  
Loki’s body freezes and he suddenly wishes he were around some of the other Avengers. “Perhaps I have, perhaps not. Surely you don’t believe it intentional.”  
Thor’s feet thunder across the hardwood floor, stopping at his brother’s side and he pulls him out of his seat. “Why have you locked me out of your room and then moved in with Banner? Am I unsuitable in bed?”

  
Loki can’t help but roll his eyes, a habit he picks up from Tony, and answers, ‘You are my brother and I love you very much, but what you did was unforgivable. You forced yourself onto me, which is punishable by law on Midgard. Doctor Banner was true to his word when he said he would not share details of my imprisonment.” He sighs and wrings his hands together, unable to meet Thor’s intense stare.

  
“What is it? What happened, Loki?” He reaches for his brother, but the trickster takes a step back out of his reach.

  
“Thor, I was violated, repeatedly, every day. Do you think I would want to have sex after five years of that?”

  
The thunder god’s face falls, and he fumbles with his words. “I had no idea. I was just trying to be comforting.” He bows his head. “I have hurt you, brother, and for that, I am deeply sorry. I understand if you wish to never speak to me again.”

  
Loki wants to brush the blond locks from his brother’s face, as he did when they were younger, but he knows what Bruce would say.

  
“I forgive you,” is all he can say. There are so many feelings running through his head, so many conflicting thoughts, and he can’t even begin to form the words he feels in the back of his throat.

  
Thor bows his head again and leaves Loki to his own devices.

  
 _Alone, again_.

  
♦

  
When Bruce returns, he goes straight to his room, unbuttoning his shirt as he goes. He just wants to take a relaxing bath and a nap to relieve the stress, but when he opens his door, he finds Loki sitting on the edge of his bed, frowning.

  
“I told Thor.”

  
Bruce forgets about everything else as he moves to pull Loki into a side embrace. They fall into their usual silence, which always ends with Loki crying and Bruce rubbing his back. This time, Bruce asks, “Why don’t you take a bath? That always relaxes me. I was going to take one in fact. I’ll just grab you a fresh towel and be downstairs. Do you want candles? I have – ”

  
Loki cuts him off with a soft, yet persistent kiss to the lips. Bruce tenses, knowing this is Loki being vulnerable and looking for some outlet of his pain. He pulls away and runs a hand down the god’s face.

  
“I won’t sleep with you, Loki. You’re hurt and upset, and sex when you’re feeling that always leads to regret and resentment. I’m not like Thor; I won’t use you when you’re low.”

  
Loki’s eyes fill with tears again and he sniffles. “You do not find me desirable? I thought – ”

  
“No, Loki, I do, but I don’t want to hurt you. I’m trying to help you heal, and when you are, then maybe…but until then, I won’t even so much as look at you naked if it’s not for medical reasons.”

  
Loki throws his arms around the doctor in a tight embrace, and Bruce falls backward, half of him off the bed. He wraps his arms around Loki’s waist and allows them a few chaste kisses, but no more. Bruce understands Loki needs safe contact with another person, but he can’t let his own desires dictate the current situation. 

  
“There’s no need to rush anything, okay? We’ll go at your pace. Don’t feel like you owe me anything. I help you because I like helping people and I care about you.” Bruce brushes a lock of hair from Loki’s face and kisses his cheek. “We’ve got plenty of time.”

  
They adjust themselves into a more comfortable position where Bruce is wrapped around Loki from behind and the god is clutching tightly at his arms.

  
He finally feels safe and sound.

**Author's Note:**

> I initially was inspired by the song "Safe & Sound" by Taylor Swift and The Civil Wars, and this was supposed to be a Thorki fic, but as I wrote, I just saw so much potential for greengiant feels. Didn't mean to villainize Thor, though. However, I do see hurt/comforts where the comforter has sex with the hurt and it rubs me the wrong way because that person is vulnerable; even if their intentions weren't bad, it's still inappropriate. That's why Bruce won't touch Loki's peen unless it's to make sure he doesn't have gonorrhea.


End file.
